The Barbarian and the Beast

 The Barbarian and the Beast

Chapter 1

Oh mighty Xanthizar, your fame is great;

The righteous criticize, bringing you hate.

Thus seldom we hear about your splendid sights

That welcome us all to see, apart from fights.

                                           – A Praise to the City.

The sun beat down with a torturous glare upon a train of moving cages containing half-starved captives being transported along The Imperial Highway to be thrown into the famous fighting-pit at the gritty and vibrant city of Xanthizar. Naturally the victims in this procession were on a route to an almost certain death. So from inside the moving iron cage, Katala peered out at the passing hilly landscape with a deep longing to be with her band of female warriors – her sisters. Also, it had been mostly a hot and dusty journey so far for this tall, pretty, voluptuous, as well as full-bosomed barbarian with long-auburn hair and sparkling-blue eyes. Even so, there was still a great distance to go, and her supple back now ached from sitting too long in this confined and uncomfortable space. But in spite of this, she never cried, or became weakened by these experiences, since a strong resoluteness of will burned inside her heart.

Meanwhile, the many half-starved and brutalized captives were anguished with worry, as they lived in an extremely cruel, harsh, and barbarous world. Yet those unfortunate people could still dream of all the numerous pleasures and good things in life, such as: love, sex, food, music, wine, poetry, and song. Moreover, the stories of great men, giants, and gods, which frightened the weak and ignorant because their knowledge was in its infancy would also capture their imaginations. Hence the forging of steel had just begun, and the vibrancy of a new age was in its ascendency, for indeed the Iron Age was now being forgotten.

Thus in the evening, this strange procession of moving livestock came to a halt as it was now time for the cage-pulling horses to rest until the next morning. Therefore Katala sat there in her sleeveless deerskin dress that was knee-length and simply made while waiting for some water to be given. In addition, she wore brown sandals and a pair of black leather wristbands. However, on this occasion, the captives were allowed to temporarily leave their confinement to relieve themselves of bodily substances under the watch of stern, vigilant guards – though this privilege was not given to the caged animals, of which, there were many.

And so a guard, with a shiny-wooden ladle, gave her some water to drink by holding it to her mouth, and later opened the iron door, saying, “Get out, and don’t try anything brave. Come on, move!”

Immediately she got out of that repulsive cage and walked to a nearby spot that dipped behind a hill to relieve herself while the guard watched, though he was pretending to look away. So the twilight sky was a luminous light-blue, and it had streaks of orange cloud beneath. Indeed this minor freedom, of being allowed out of the cage, gave the young barbarian a sense of what life should be, as she was too wild for a life of feeble captivity. Accordingly, many thoughts raced through her mind, like the time she fell out of a tree when picking figs as a young girl, or the time when she slipped into the water and nearly drowned. And then there were the good memories of her loving parents in the village she grew up in near The Great Forest to the south. Thus, numerous thoughts and images came and went.

“Are you done yet?” said the unfeeling soldier. Katala ignored him, and finished a moment later.

Afterwards, the two both briskly walked back to the cage, and she got in. Next he shut the door with a firm clang and locked it with a loud click of his key. That being so, Katala reclined in a semi-comfortable position and continued thinking about her past while looking into the vast sky above. The air at present felt colder than during the journey. Eventually she fell asleep. It was a tranquil night. However, in the morning, the guard came back and threw a piece of mouldy bread and some dried meat into the cage, and when it came to food, that’s all she’d be getting for the rest of that day. What’s more, the procession soon continued moving again. Thus the rattling vibrations of the cage and its onward drive towards Xanthizar’s famous fighting-pit reminded her of the possible doom that awaited most that ended up there. Consequently she tried to get her mind off it. At this, the warrior was successful only briefly until those pesky thoughts returned involuntarily. Thereafter, at some point, the moving train stopped at a small town for more captives to be loaded onto the cages, and another unfortunate female got placed in the same one as Katala. Furthermore, when they were moving through a particularly dull stretch of the highway, her new companion said, “We are to fight like pet roosters in a hollow-pit at people’s pleasure. How sad!”

“Yes, cruel indeed is the fate that awaits us. It is a wicked sport. And yet I do not feel afraid,” said the young barbarian, musingly.

“What do they call you?”

“I’m Katala . . . And you?”

“My name is Dainara. I’m from a small village west of here,” said the friendly woman. Moreover her garments were of a very rich fabric, as she had a sophisticated taste, and in appearance, was a brown-haired, dark-eyed, warrior-thief that looked slightly shorter than Katala, though equally as pretty. Thus they seemed to like each other. The two were soon smiling and agreeing on many things.

Indeed, on the next day they noticed that the land was more cultivated than before and numerous farmsteads of about twenty acres each, littered the region, with many goats, sheep, oxen, and horses, walking around happily, grazing. So the proud barbarian asked the cage’s new occupant, the following, “The village, the one you’re from. What’s it like?”

“Um, it’s very pleasant and quiet, but the people are poor. And there’s a stream not too far. The dwellings are simple wooden shacks, though in winter, there’s never much snow.”

“You appear to have done well for yourself, and you’re not dressed like someone who’s poor. Why’s that?” observed Katala.

“True, my days as a thief have earned me some luxuries,” said Dainara, with a cheeky smirk, “though they’ve also landed me in much trouble. Hence my present predicament.”

Then three days later the train of cages approached the outer walls of Xanthizar. They were in the cultivated farmland close to the city. Hence the pulses of all captives increased in magnitude, for a tenseness gripped them to see its Cyclopean walls of aged masonry dating back to the Bronze Age. Its sight was immensely impressive to anyone seeing it for the first time. Now as they approached the main gateway, two huge sculptures of lions, sitting – flanked both sides, and on the other side opposite them, the communal scent of people and domesticated animals could clearly be discerned in the air. And of these people, many were slaves. It was civilization at its best and worst. Thus the numerous lanes were narrow and winding without paving stones of any kind. Meanwhile, as they moved inwards towards the city center, the cages kept stopping, and starting again, due to the great number of carts, animals, and people blocking their way onwards. Consequently groups of people stood around watching them, as though seeing fresh meat entering a slaughterhouse. Some of their mouths were even wide open with bloodlust.

“Look at how those wretches stare at us,” remarked Dainara. “Don’t these people have a conscience?”

Katala shrugged her shoulders, as if speechless and baffled. She did not know how to answer her cage companion. The train of cages took a long time to get where it was going, though when it finally reached the building containing the fighting-pit, a huge crowd was gathered in front. More gawking ensued, but this lot were also lively, because they had been waiting, and were now excited to see the newcomers arrive. Thus from outside, the building looked large, rectangular, and windowless, with numerous arches decorating its outer surface and it sat at the foot of a rocky outcrop. Moreover, all the captives were lined up and brought along to a side entrance that led into the bowels of the building through corridors that smelled acrid and musty. Subsequently they were put into large cells that contained many others, for it resembled an overpacked rabbit warren of unfortunates. At that moment, a groaning sound came from the corner of the packed cell they had been placed in. Apparently it was an injured fighter. A very young woman.

“Let’s go and see how she’s doing,” said Dainara to Katala. The two of them walked over.

“We felt the need to see how you’re doing,” remarked the friendly thief as the two companions stood in front of the woman, looking down at her.

The injured woman was sitting on the floor. “It’s my ankle . . . I landed badly on it during my fight earlier today,” she said. “Don’t worry yourselves too much. It could’ve been worse.”

“How long have you been here?” asked Katala.

“Around nine days, I think,” said the woman.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m called Euleni. I come from a tribe north of here, The Vanar.”

Beside her on the floor, they sat, and made themselves comfortable. Then Dainara gazed at the shadows of the captives which shifted across the stone walls because of the flickering illumination from a brazier placed at the center of the large semi-dark cell. The place was filled with anguished mutterings, although a great sadness also pervaded most of those present. What’s more, the sexes were segregated, and so were the animals from the people. Yet down below, in the bowels of the structure, the fighting-pit had been dug out of the earth in an oval-shape and was located beneath ground level close to the building’s foundations. Therefore it existed deep enough to make jumping out of it difficult. For all the captives were forcefully pushed down and made to fight whoever or whatever was down there, but wild animals entered this killing ground through an opening that had an iron door which opened and closed. It was a ghastly place, and the stuff of nightmares, where evil spirits stalked its bloodstained ground.

So when evening came, the guards brought a small wooden bowl of lentil soup and a piece of bread for each woman in the cell. Pleased by this, they ate it all up with incredible zeal. Not a drop was left over in any of the bowls, and not a morsel of bread went uneaten. Indeed the craving to consume more food felt strong in their growling stomachs.

“I wonder if someone’s ever escaped from this miserable place,” said Dainara. She was making drawing motions on a thin layer of floor-grime with the forefinger of her left hand.

“I hope so, for no one deserves to die in a fighting-pit,” remarked Katala.

Thus they spoke avidly until late in the evening when tiredness set in. After this, everyone in the cell fell asleep, except for a few. Their agonies of thought felt too unbearable, as relaxation eluded them. However nothing much happened the next day. But on the following one, some guards came and took Katala from the cell to fight in the pit. Consequently she was pushed down into that infernal hole, with a straight sword and round shield thrown alongside her feet. Additionally, another woman she had never seen before found herself in the same predicament. The two of them now faced each other with a slight confusion while staring soberly ahead, for it was now time for deadly combat. Furthermore, rich nobles sat around the pit on raised seating, and watched. They squawked like geese on a rampage.

“Fight, fight,” these cruel creatures chanted.

“What are you waiting for?” said the pit overseer. For that individual was a tall, lean, bony-chined man with feelingless gray eyes and gaunt features. He wore a sleeveless black shirt and matching pants, and had a gnarled wooden staff, which his right hand thudded into the ground three times. The man resembled a foul creature, almost vulture-like in his features.

Therefore the combatants slowly circled each other to look for any kind of weakness in the defence of the opponent they could exploit, and their reluctance to fight was obvious. But fight, they must. Much tension mounted in the heartless crowd until both came closer. The other woman lunged forwards, first, swinging her sword, hotly, and Katala quickly blocked it with her round shield. Then more attacks and blocks were exchanged. Even so, the other opponent had a more offensively aggressive nature and managed to push the barbarian over onto her back. Nevertheless she rolled out of the way before being struck. Moreover, Katala noticed that the woman’s guard was not always kept up when attacking, and took advantage of this by slashing her left arm. She screamed in frustration and became angry. Hence her next attacks were even more careless. As a result, the barbarian wounded the woman with a deep gash to the torso and pushed her over onto the floor, kicking the sword away.

“Kill her, kill her,” shouted the fervent spectators, for a bloodlust burned in their eyes. And so the overseer ordered Katala to strike the death blow. Thus she ran the woman through. It was a sad loss of life.

Now a wondrous sense of relief came over her when being taken back to the cell by some guards.

“I’m glad you’ve returned, and aren’t dead . . . What was it like in the pit?” said Dainara.

“The woman I fought was no real match for me. It was over very quickly. I’m feeling fine. It’s so sad that people have to die that way,” said Katala.

“Ah, I was so worried. But now that you’re here, I feel so relieved,” commented the thief.

“Good, I feel touched, but I worry about when it’s your turn to fight,” remarked the barbarian. “It could be soon. Even tomorrow. Are you ready?”

“When the time comes, I will do my best, though I know my fighting skills cannot equal yours.”

“That’s why I worry.”

Afterwards they hugged each other, as they were really bonding and felt a kinship that only people who are destined to be friends can feel.

Chapter 2

The cage can bound us for some time

And hold us down, and, for no crime.

Yet we will rave and burst with life,

As all the strong do – fighting strife.

The evening darkened outside and the Moon’s opulence brought a silvery shimmering glow to the city, but in the cell it was always the same. Inside there, nothing much stimulated the senses or the mind. Yet the daily routines of the guards were becoming well known to its inhabitants, and seeming very predictable. Hence ten tedious days had crawled by since Katala first fought in the pit, so she was now planning a major revolt that would take great courage. And a fighting slave, is all this proud woman meant to those nobles in the crowd, and this angered her immeasurably. Above all, she regularly prayed to Okaia the goddess of female warriors, who was also the tutelary deity of her tribe, The Tellauni.

In the meantime, all the valorous women in that wretched cell were discussing Katala’s plan, and they spoke quietly to avoid being heard. Thus there was a palpable excitement in the atmosphere. At which point, Dainara said to the warrior, “Can you go over it again, so I don’t forget.”

“Now listen to me closely, as I want you to take notice. Heed my words, because when the time comes, I’m going to start a fight. And the guards will surely try to stop it. Then we turn on them, and I will take the keys from one of the guards to release others from their cells. Do you understand?” said the barbarian, looking confident and determined.

“Sure, I understand, but when are you going to start the fight?” asked the warrior-thief.

“Soon – for it will be tomorrow,” she answered, and then paused for a moment, and said, “You shall see how great it is when we are free, because it will be as if the doom-laden hands of this damnable place had never weighed heavy on us.”

Thus in all likelihood, the plan could fail miserably, though Katala preferred to die attempting to escape than survive as a fighting-slave for a group of depraved people. Moreover it felt like a risk she was willing to take. Besides, her cellmates were keen on the idea too, because they were happy to find a strong, bold leader to follow. So on the next day she started a fight with Euleni in the afternoon that looked very animated and realistic, which drew the guards attention. Therefore they opened the cell door, and entered. As a result, the women immediately turned on them with great fury. That being so, Katala pounced and bit the hand of the guard that held the keys. He dropped them on the floor. She grabbed the keys and ran off through the doorway.

Soon the excited escapee made it to an unguarded cell and released the captives within. With that done, they joined her, and more and more were also liberated until a full scale revolt ensued. Also some weapons were seized, and many of the animals were let out of their cages. Yet in the midst of this riotous confusion, Katala encountered a beautiful, majestic saber-toothed tiger scrutinizing her with an affable glare. It was caged. Thereupon she felt a strong connection to this beast that was deeply visceral, since the desire to release it overwhelmed any sense of reason which normally would put doubts upon making this type of decision for fear of personal danger. Therefore she tentatively approached its barred-enclosure, while looking for the right key to release it, and the animal’s face twisted slightly in curious observation of her movements. At that point, Katala opened the barred-iron door and made gesturing motions, and said, “You can trust me, beast, I’m here to free you, come.”

The animal did not hesitate to walk out of its cell considering there was an acceptance between them and it came right up to her. It licked her right hand.

Now both joined the fierce mass of rebelling slaves that were fleeing the building. And when running through the different lanes, all the escapees headed for the main gateway of the city. Likewise more slaves joined the rebelling group after noticing that freedom could also be theirs. However, on the main cart track, just before the closed gateway, Xanthizar’s elite guard, The Sirukai, were waiting for them in tight formation, standing with a wall of shields and steel-tipped spears projected in the direction of the fleeing horde. Nevertheless fear did not stop the intense surge of the rebelling group’s passion because they ploughed straight in, and made all attempts to have the gate opened, which they did manage to accomplish. The fighting was brutal and chaotic. Indeed many slaves died, but also many made it through to the outside.

Quickly and excitedly the scampering group boldly headed east through farmland country with immense vigor despite the tragic loss of life since it was necessary to keep going. What’s more, no one seemed to be following them. Indeed, most of Xanthizar’s army were away, and so what remained, needed to stay in the city to protect it. Meanwhile Katala, Dainara and the saber-toothed tiger were fortunate enough to have made it out alive, but Euleni had perished in the mass scramble for the gate. Consequently everyone rummaged for food and water wherever it could be found, which was not too hard to come across in this country. And after this pleasant rural paradise, the land became hillier, and filled with rocky regions that extended most dramatically into ravines and mountainous terrain to the north. Yet they followed a fertile stretch of land to the east that led to some untamed woods, since it was a place which enabled them to hide and recuperate from fatigue. Moreover it was a good hunting ground, too, and ideal for their situation.

“I think we should go and build shelters in that area over there,” suggested Dainara. She was pointing at a concealed part of the woods that lay in a hollow, and it seemed ideal after what they had been through. The location looked overgrown, with wild woodland foliage clearly bursting forth everywhere. It was full of life.

“I agree,” said Katala in an exalted mood, “It’s a good place.” Therefore their companions heard what they were talking about, and soon followed.

It was then that some of the weary, but determined escapees got to work making shelters, while others went hunting or searching for water sources. As a consequence of this, a few struck lucky and killed several wild boar. To add to this, a clean rushing stream was also found not too far away to satiate their colossal thirst. Thus they distributed the meat and heated it from a few fires, which were soon put out for fear of any detection by the enemy. Yet for now, the utter darkness of the first night in this primal woodland seemed strange, though their sense of freedom felt good, and the smell of pine trees, as well as resins, reawakened a love of nature within them.

Eventually the warm morning light peeped brightly over the horizon, which greatly motivated some of them to wake up early to go exploring, however various others continued resting in their shelters. Thereafter, when the sun had risen slightly higher, Dainara yawned when getting up, and walked to the stream for a wash. Now when Katala arose soon after, she made a spear, and with the saber-toothed tiger, went hunting. Hence there were many scents in the air and trackable signs to follow. Then soon enough, she caught sight of a gentle deer sniffing at some bushes. It was unaware of her presence. Now launching her spear fast and strong, the poor deer buckled to the ground, dying, whilst panting nervously. This was nothing new to the barbarian, as she had killed many innocent deer like this before.

“Oh bless you, Okaia! and the other gods for this bountiful gift,” said Katala with hands raised to the heavens in appreciation for nature and the divine forces at that moment. It was greatly felt.

In the meantime, the saber-toothed tiger looked at her behavior curiously, as if not knowing what to make of it.

“Ha, I should give you a name,” remarked the barbarian, gleefully, when noticing the beast’s gaze. “And because you’re a female, I shall call you, Tamira. How do you like that?”

To be sure, the creature gave her another curious look, but this one had a hint of understanding. Moreover, Katala thought that by always talking, Tamira would at some point begin to understand.

Thus moving into position, she picked up the deer’s carcass from the ground and slung its limp body across her well proportioned shoulders. And afterwards the barbarian leaned over to grab the spear and strode back to camp. Her head was bursting with pride. It was still very early in the day and Dainara had a big smile for her friend when seeing the dead animal being carried.

“You’re such a good huntress,” remarked the young thief. “I wish someday you would teach me.”

“I will, as there’s much to learn, and much I can teach you,” said Katala, as she found a spot on a rock to place her catch.

“Can I help you prepare it?”

“Yes,” answered the barbarian, smiling, “though it would be useful if we had a knife to skin it with. Go and borrow one from the others. I remember some of them getting weapons in the escape.”

“Alright, I will. See you when I get back,” said Dainara. She was teeming with life, and at that moment, quickly bounded off in the direction of the other shelters. Behind her, the powerful figure of Tamira, meekly followed.

Soon the enthusiastic helper returned with a short sword, and promptly asked, “Will this do?”

“It looks good to me. Pass it over!” said Katala, then taking the weapon, proceeded to cut the deer’s hide at the bends and interiors of each leg. Next came the belly cut. Now she started carefully working the skin away from the rear legs, by pulling, and also moved to the front shoulders, where she also used the sword to separate the hide from the various joints and continued all the way to the deer’s throat. The culmination was the cutting off of the head and complete removal of the hide.

Thereafter, an insistent Dainara with an impatient expression of eagerness, asked, “Can I start cutting the meat now?”

“Certainly, go ahead,” remarked her friend.

So then the excited helper went to work slicing.

“No, stop!” exclaimed Katala, quickly moving forwards and gently taking the sword from Dainara’s grasp in order to show her how to cut the meat off the bones, properly. “Do it like this. Can you see?”

“Oh, yes, I see what you mean,” exclaimed the warrior-thief.

Hence they continued cutting away for a long time, taking it in turns, until finally when the meat had been prepared to their satisfaction, they set some aside for Tamira, which they fed to her raw. Yet the still hungry pair, heated some on a small fire, and ate it by vigorous chewing. However the remainder got stored away – wrapped in leaves.

In the evening, when darkness spread over the land, everyone began telling one another stories. Especially of the mythological kind. And one of the men among the group, called Jarak, spoke the following: “Once very clever many-toed giants lived on the earth, inhabiting mostly the mountainous regions. Though in time, they came to oppress us normal-sized people, by making us farm, or do other tasks. Meanwhile the giants lived off the benefits of this work, giving us only scraps. But if any of the little people protested, the giants would make them eat their own faeces, or kill them, for these giants were cruel and scary. However they did not produce many offspring. Then the little people came to outnumber them, until eventually a great war occurred between the two. And the little people won, killing most of these giants, also banishing the rest. So if you ever go to the mountains, you will sometimes see the strange marks they left behind on the rocks, for they were very strong. Yet now, all are gone, and only their fierce impressions remain.”

Afterwards, late in the evening, following the storytelling, Katala walked off and sat silently and started thinking to herself about wanting to go hunting early the following day.

And confidently, the next morning, after having craned her head out of the shelter, she went hunting again with Tamira, as planned, though having set out earlier than the previous day, and left around the same time as this every morning after until the days could not easily be counted, because inside her, there seemed to be a considerable restlessness. A restlessness that heightened the senses. However on a certain day, prey was a little harder to find than usual, so Katala went farther out, looking for signs. Always searching. At which point, fresh footprints caught her attention that belonged to a significantly large animal. These, she boldly pursued, having an inkling of what kind of animal it was. Indeed it could only be a large brown bear. Yet straight away, the ferocious animal appeared, and loomed over her, casting a vast shadow. Nevertheless the masterly huntress soon stuck her spear deep into its hairy chest. At that point, Tamira came bounding towards it with a sense of primal aggression and launched into a biting attack. As a result, Katala removed her spear with a long steady movement and then stood watching while they fought. Moreover, Tamira seemed to be losing the fight and looked slightly injured on the breast. Therefore Katala impaled the bear a few more times until it fell lifeless to the ground with an almighty thud.

So with that having occurred, the injured saber-toothed tiger whined in pain with a sort of soft growling sound.

“Ah, my poor Tamira, you brave thing,” said the saddened huntress as she came forwards and knelt before the animal to stroke it several times. “Don’t die on me, you hear!”

So rising up quickly, Katala ran back to the others for help. The day was still young, and they were surprised to see her looking so distraught.

“What’s wrong?” asked Dainara.

“It’s Tamira, she’s injured.”

“How?”

“She got injured fighting a large brown bear. Come, all of you, I need your help to carry her. Hurry!”

Now a large mass of the liberated captives, though not all, eagerly followed the concerned huntress through the woods, for they felt a natural kinship with the wounded animal because it had escaped with them from Xanthizar. Besides, it did not take too long, and when arriving, Tamira lay on the ground where she had fallen earlier.

Then a dark-haired woman called Yakeera, made the following comment, “I was raised in a village near here, so I know this area most intimately, and also know of a man, a powerful healer. He lives not too far away.”

“What’s his name, this healer?” asked Katala.

“Demaltos.”

“Very interesting, can you please take me to this healer Demaltos after we have carried Tamira back to our settlement.”

“For you, indeed, I will,” said the woman, reassuringly.

At that moment, a few of those that were patiently gathered there, gently lifted Tamira from the ground and began carrying her back to their settlement. It was a fairly slow process of not wishing to make things at all uncomfortable for the animal. So when they got there, some of them built a small fire to keep her warm. Yet soon afterwards, Yakeera and Katala embarked on the search to find Demaltos while Dainara stayed behind to take care of Tamira by the fire.

Chapter 3

They go forth to search for a healing hand

As Tamira clings to the life she loves.

And all nature sings in that lofty land

To the tune of birds, and all cooing doves.

Thus under the ever-present radiance of a fiery, though well-tempered sun the two women swiftly ran over fields of grass in the direction of the healer’s solitary dwelling place. For the urgency of their task kept them ever pressing forwards. Also, the beautiful green lush woodland could be seen to their left alongside them. However on that first day, after having departed their camp in the early afternoon the weary pair rested in the late evening when the air was cool and languid. In fact, they were about half way to their desired destination as Demaltos lived a good distance south of the woods. Hence Katala planned to set out the next morning. Then eventually the night came, and the resting travelers slipped into a wondrous sleep until the glorious sun arrived to beam resplendent light upon them once again.

Now both eagerly stirred themselves away from the joyful repose of their gratifying slumber to face this new day by feasting on some deer meat and sipping water from an animal hide canteen. With that being done, they were soon on the move, though pushing themselves even harder than previously. Yet on this new morning the weather was not as warm as the day before, though notably pleasant, such that the two hastening figures were able to cover much terrain in good time. So by early evening, the lonesome hut of the healer came into view as twilight was slowly making its way onto the land.

Therefore running up towards the ground immediately before the threshold of the hut, the two halted outside its crudely constructed door and Katala knocked three times in quick succession on the rough surface of that wooden monstrosity.

“Yes, what do you want?” said an agitated voice from inside the mean dwelling.

“Greetings . . . me, and another, have come here to talk with Demaltos the great healer. Are you him?”

“Why do you want to know?” returned the voice. His crisp tone sounded pressing and slightly disagreeable.

“Look,” said Katala, “l need your help urgently, as my beloved companion, a saber-toothed tiger has been injured on the breast by a bear. Please . . . please come and heal her, for I will pay any price you choose as payment.”

“Where is this animal of yours?”

“In the great woods just north of here,” answered the barbarian.

Then there was a silence, and a brief moment later the sound of the rickety-creaking door getting unbolted from the inside and then opened reverberated to reveal a man at the doorway donning furry clothes that looked dishevelled, and appearing to be of medium height, with pale-blue eyes, as well as long-tousled hair of a walnut color. “Yes, I am the healer of whom you seek,” said he, glancing at their faces thoughtfully whilst also motioning them to come in.

Indeed this delighted the women immeasurably to see Demaltos being so welcoming, so they entered his cozy home and spoke briefly with him around a table until he gathered several objects together and put these in a leather satchel.

Succeeding this initial meeting, all three left in the direction of the woods, though the healer was not able to run great distances at a time, so it took them a little longer to traverse the distance to their intended destination.

However when they finally got to the settlement at the woods Katala felt a touch apprehensive, for she feared it might be too late and that Tamira may already be dead. Because of this, a tension mounted in the barbarian’s body as they approached the shelter. But to her appeasing joy, Tamira still lay there alive on the ground when she peeked at the spot where the animal was last seen. At this moment, some of the others at the settlement also began gathering around when they noticed that the three had just shortly arrived. Therefore a marked sense of interest in this new situation was felt by everyone looking on.

Demaltos then got himself prepared in front of the beautiful saber-toothed tiger and moved his hands around its injured breast to feel the wound and how the energy was flowing there. And when this procedure was finished, he searched inside his satchel for a small bottle containing a silvery-white powder and poured it carefully onto the wound whilst chanting some arcane words of power that sounded very ancient. On this account, the animal’s breast immediately healed up by a surge of magical power that left everyone surprised.

“I have never seen anything as amazing as that before,” remarked one of the onlookers. A middle-aged man. “What a remarkable gift you have!”

“I am grateful that you think so, for I have worked very hard to master my craft,” returned the healer with a sense of modest pride, and swiftly got to his feet to start readying himself to leave, as he was not one to engage in much sociable talk.

However, Yakeera stepped forwards and said, “I shall accompany you home. How about that!”

“That’ll be fine,” said Demaltos, since this presented him with an opportunity to leave without a fuss.

Soon afterwards, they both departed.

Thus Katala was impressed and relieved at Tamira’s new condition and caressed her with affectionate hugs and playful tickles. Hence she also provided some deer meat for the hungry animal, and did so daily. Such that, with this form of attentive treatment its health improved rapidly and everything returned to normal again, though there was a sort of weariness in the creature’s heart whenever it came near the spot where the fight with the bear had occurred. Even so, both companions were back to hunting in the mornings and prey was not too hard to find. Nevertheless, thoughts of indebtedness to Demaltos for his brilliant work nagged greatly upon her mind. To be sure, the thoughts did not cease and neither did her numerous ways of thinking up ideas of how to pay him back came surging through her consciousness. Needless to say, she would have to find a place of great wealth to steal from, such as a temple, or the villa of a wealthy person to be able to pay him back for his healing.

Meanwhile, when she and Dainara were talking with each other on a certain day, the keen warrior-thief happened to mention to Katala that there was a temple of vast riches in the populous city of Herisa. Indeed many pilgrims traveled there to worship, so they would not look out of place if disguised as religious followers. Consequently this idea remained in her mind from that day onwards with an unceasing hold. Yet undoubtedly the journey to Herisa would take at least six days. For the city lay to the northeast. A perfect and colossal monument to civilization, containing fragrant watered gardens and long straight streets connected to a main thoroughfare lined by exceptional palm trees basking in the warmth of a fervent sun.

Therefore, at some point, Katala decided to convince Dainara to come along with her and steal what they could at the temple in Herisa due to the latter’s experience as a thief. Surely this was a good idea, she thought. The others would look after Tamira in their absence.

So early one morning, both friends set out for Herisa by leaving behind their familiarity with the woods and walked across many fertile fields until they reached a much trodden path that led in the direction they desired. Nothing out of the ordinary occurred on that first day, and the landscape looked as expected. Furthermore, the days seemed to go by fairly fast since having left. Then on the fourth day of traveling some pilgrims on their way to the same place as them could be seen chanting and clapping. Moreover, this group of people also looked friendly. And a man near the front, with a waving gesture, bid them to join. Now in order to blend in and not to appear suspicious, the friends came towards the group.

“Hail to thee, daughters of the radiant and everlasting one . . . the everlasting one who watches us all, and knows everything,” said the man as they walked to the rear, behind everyone else. “Love is the message he sends.”

“Yes, love . . . we come in love,” mumbled Dainara, in a mocking way. A sly grin distorted her face, which only Katala could see, for a pretense had to be kept up until later.

Now the two of them remained mostly quiet amid this new company of pilgrims, although they sometimes occasionally smiled and made out as if agreeing with certain things being said by those religious fanatics. However, there was an underlying tension behind their smiles and agreements, which manifested as a discomfort felt within. What’s more, until reaching Herisa, the next two days seemed to pass remarkably slowly until a palpable excitement arose when they saw the city, and their senses were not disappointed by its impressiveness. Hence the place had been built on very level ground and its surrounding wall was expertly built with finely cut stones that slotted into one another with exacting precision. Indeed the fragrance from its numerous gardens wafted everywhere, bringing a sweet and calm atmosphere to the region.

“Look, can you see the symmetry of those wonderful buildings?” said an excited Dainara, while also pointing in the general direction of where the structures lay. “The architect that designed them must have been truly favored by the gods. Don’t you think so?”

“Yes, they’re magnificent. Far superior to any of those we saw in Xanthizar,” answered her friend, and with a congenial smile.

Meanwhile, both noticed that the people in the lanes behaved in a calm and orderly way, as if their lives had been directed by astrologers and soothsayers in regard to all things. For there seemed to be many superstitious laws being followed by its inhabitants. To be sure, they were very pious and obedient subjects of the city’s traditions. Over and above that, the place was also vastly different to the corrupt and barbarous nature of Xanthizar, though the two cities had many connections due to their proximity. Thus the two cities were about twelve days apart on foot. 

“Would you like to stay with us?” asked the man who had beckoned them to join the group two days earlier. His name was Mefeck, and his wife, together with their three well behaved daughters accompanied him. Thus his wife was called Eucasta, and his daughters were Kaia, Sola, and Jana. 

“Indeed we can. Let’s waste no time,” said Katala, with a tone of appreciation.

“Good, I will show you the way,” insisted Mefeck, leading Katala, Dainara and his family towards a place to stay that was not too costly in a part of Herisa farthest out, and near its outer wall. It was a good distance away. So when they arrived, the building, and garden, which had a marble fountain, looked very pleasant, for it had high shrubs around its perimeter surrounded by a wall. Yet they could see everything through a main gate with bars at the front which was locked. Therefore Mefeck quickly went in the direction of where the landlord lived to get the keys as the others waited for him to return. He was soon back with a big grin on his face and everyone followed him through the main gate of its front wall and then along a path towards the door of the building and entered.

“I can see why you like this place so much. It’s very relaxing here,” commented Dainara. The others agreed. Then soon after, she suggested to Katala that they take a look around the city. So they both excused themselves to their host and his family for wanting to leave and went out for a walk, though they were mostly interested in The Great Temple and wanted to observe it closely as the other sights were of less importance.

“Ha! what strange clothing they wear in Herisa,” said Katala, humorously, “and their speech is very proper, not like that of my people.”

“Yes, I see what you mean,” added her companion, “though I don’t know your people.”

Now the two women stared up in amazement when reaching the center of the city where all the main temples were situated. For the domes and towers that reached into the sky almost completely blocked out the light of the sun. Moreover, out front, there were many musicians and choral singers praising the gods. Thus there was a restlessness in these religious people, and a sort of ordered confusion in the area due to how busy it was. Yet it was obvious that a great deal of wealth lay in those buildings. Therefore anyone with sufficient determination would be able to figure out how to steal a few treasures without being noticed. But at this moment, they were only interested in looking around, and casually strode towards The Great Temple since the numerous onlookers did not take much notice of these two new pilgrims, as there were already too many.

At the principal doorway a man told them to remove their footwear and put on white robes. Hence, they could see that there were several rooms in close proximity to make a change of clothing, which is where the two friends went. After changing, the same man pointed out the direction to the central chamber. It was a chamber where people prayed voraciously. However they pursued their desire to take a different path when out of his sight, and the other religious pilgrims walking around suspected nothing unscrupulous. In fact, numerous corridors led throughout the structure, where all kinds of chambers existed, and they needed to get an impression of the layout, so to this end their efforts were directed, though after much restless searching, both began appearing suspicious to various baffled onlookers. So when they arrived at the central chamber, the two decided to remain there as if pretending to pray. Clearly the room was large, and it had a lofty ceiling beautifully decorated with swirling patterns.

Then Katala was impressed and excited by the jewel-encrusted gold altar and came forwards to examine it more closely with Dainara following close behind. Meanwhile a strange, awe inspiring chanting filled the room. Truly, it was a very deep throated sort of chanting, not like what you normally would hear, and many of the people even swayed in rhythm to the sound because they seemed hypnotized by its power, which anyone there could attest to. Moreover, the companions tried to avoid being intimidated by the forces emanating from this religious practise as their intention was to steal enough jewels to pay back Demaltos for his brilliant work, therefore they could not afford to be distracted by the spiritual at a time like this, since they were there to learn as much as possible about the layout of this place, which is what presently mattered. Above all, they were transfixed until asked to leave by an attendant in a white robe when the temple closed for the evening. Thus most of the crowd outside had dispersed already by the moment both walked through the doorway and noticed that the twilight air felt soothing upon their warm bodies.

Hence sauntering back to Mefeck’s place, the two excited friends spoke of all that had been seen in the temple, and the conversation soon turned to a matter concerning the need to get some strong ropes and climbing equipment to scale the wall. Yet how would it be possible to acquire these things without arousing suspicion? Who would know how to get them? These were important questions. Therefore Dainara searched around for any black market dealers that sold objects of this kind. And how would she pay for such things? It was not as if two escapees from the fighting-pit had a thing of any real worth to exchange for these much needed goods.

“We need to find a way to earn money to buy the equipment to steal from the temple,” remarked the warrior-thief.

“I know, that’s true, as I’ve been thinking the same thing myself, though I don’t think paid work will prove so easy to find,” said the barbarian to her trusty companion, and from house to house they went looking for someone willing to pay them in coin to do work of any sort, provided it was not of a degrading kind, such as selling their bodies for sex.

So Dainara, on a certain day, found work as a cleaner in the home of a wealthy family that lived in an area in between the main gateway and the center of the city, and which was a fairly long walk away from Mefeck’s place. Therefore at the same time in which her friend was at work earning money, Katala spent those very same days visiting The Great Temple in order to commit to memory all the details of the layout that she could possibly remember, while also taking her turn when it came to searching the lanes for a black market dealer. Thus undoubtedly the two of them were aiming towards the same goal, but in different ways. Then having searched a great deal for about a month, she arranged a meeting with a creepy black market dealer calling himself Abakron, for he was the only person in those busy lanes that sold what they wanted. Moreover, the meeting would take place in one of the many storage shelters where he kept his goods. Needless to say, Dainara intended to come along as well.

Hence both the barbarian and the warrior-thief made their way to the storage shelter at about midafternoon on the day in which the meeting with Abakron was arranged and arrived appearing confident and eager to get the things they needed. Furthermore, the building seemed quiet when they stood outside, but after Katala loudly knocked three times, a sound of heavy footsteps emanated from inside and came towards the door. It was soon unbolted, and a large man stood in the doorway. He had large biceps together with an enormous chest that heaved out in their direction like that of a bison’s.

“We are here to see Abakron,” insisted the barbarian, with her usual confidence despite his size.

“Ah, yes, he is waiting for you” said the man, and then gestured at them to enter and moved backwards as they walked past him. Thereafter, he locked the door and followed from behind, quickly pointing the way. “You must go in that direction.”

Now all three of them went through a fairly long corridor and came to a spacious storage chamber packed with objects of different kinds. Yet in the center of the chamber sat the solitary figure of Abakron at a large table that was completely cluttered with an accumulation of merchandise. He appeared contemplative.

“Greetings! fine women,” said he, with a huge smile. “Could you please remind me again of what it was that you desired?”

“Certainly,” replied Dainara, “ we need two long ropes and two grappling hooks.”

“What! Are you thieves or something?”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Yes, though I will not tell anyone of what I know,” he said cunningly, and with a hint of devious charm.

“That’s good,” remarked Katala, “and we won’t say anything about your illegal dealings either.”

“Fine, I will have these items for you within ten days, so come back at that time with 40 zobols and we can make the deal.”

“Good, as you can expect to see us again,” said the barbarian, with a smile.

Consequently the two women were escorted outside by the large man. And when getting back to Mefeck’s place they continued their convincing facade of being religious followers of a pious type. It was all deception, the way they spoke and behaved. Then the ten days seemed to go by incredibly fast, and a serious mood came over them when preparing for what they needed to undertake when receiving the ropes and grappling hooks. 

Therefore, when the two were good and ready they set out into the shadowy gloom of a night’s ghostly silence towards the main temple with an intention of stealing some jewels from the chamber of worship, and these determined women scurried like hungry jackals. The lanes were mostly empty of people. Nevertheless the pair had to be vigilant, as this undertaking was risky, and very bold. So when they got to The Great Temple, Katala and Dainara got their ropes with grappling hooks ready. However these particular ones had been carefully wrapped in a special material to prevent them from making a clang when thrown onto the roof, yet were still able to retain a good grip, and this special material had been given to them for free by Abakron as a gift. He knew they would find it useful. Indeed one after the other, the pair threw their grappling hooks up into a secure ridge section with the greatest of might and pulled them into place by the ropes they were attached to. Afterwards came the act of pulling themselves up to the top with an excited energy, and soon both were up there looking around when Katala noticed an opening for air that led into the interior of the temple. As a consequence of this, she pulled up her rope that was still dangling against the side of the building and repositioned the grappling hook end of it on a ledge and lowered the other end of the rope into the hole that had been discovered and eased herself down slowly with great caution as it was unknown exactly what might be down there.

Now eventually Katala’s feet did reach the ground safely within the darkness of a chamber that made it very difficult to see anything at all. Thus she pulled out a small portable bronze oil lamp from her bag and proceeded to light its linen wick with some flint sparks. At that point, the chamber quickly became illuminated within a short distance and it appeared to be not too far from the one where the jewel encrusted altar lay. Meanwhile, when looking up, Katala noticed that Dainara was lowering herself down quite swiftly.

“Come, it’s this way,” said the barbarian to her friend as she pointed in the direction of a thick wooden door at one end of the chamber which looked partly open. So with bold, eager steps, they went bounding towards it, not hesitating for a moment. Moreover, when nudging past the door to enter they saw some faint moonlight shining through a small-high window opening and falling onto the walls and on the altar, and their excitement grew more intense at the sparkle of the large jewels upon that wondrous place of worship. Because of that, the two ran towards it with grabbing hands, grabbing as many jewels as possible from its surface by the aid of knives, and then placing those magnificent sparkling objects into their bags.

And just as rapidly, they turned fully around and retraced their steps out to slink away into the night and returned back to Mefeck’s. However, the next day, when their marvelous host had least expected it, Katala and Dainara made an excuse to leave, saying it was time to take another pilgrimage south. Yet on their way out of the city, a person newly arriving, recognized them from Xanthizar and decided to follow these escapees at a good distance, so as not to make it obvious. In fact, this occurred all the way back to the woods where they were staying. Furthermore, this person was a man named Sakarias, and a deeply wicked and cynical creature. Thus he watched them closely for a short duration of time and afterwards headed towards Xanthizar to inform the authorities of that city where the escapees of the fighting-pit were hiding.

Indeed, during the period when Sakarias was away, Katala and Dainara were happy to be back in the woods with Tamira and the others. However, the next day, they left to go and give Demaltos some of the jewels for the help he had given, and on returning, everything seemed normal, at least for now. But several days later, when on an extended walk, one of the escapees noticed that an army was marching towards the woods and appeared to be coming from the direction of Xanthizar. Therefore quickly, and with much determination, that person ran back to the woods to inform the others of what they had seen. At that moment, everyone soon assembled to prepare for the onslaught which was to come. Still, no one considered running away, as facing the army seemed like the right thing to do, for they did not want to think of themselves as cowards, especially not in a situation like this. Hence all of them nominated Katala to take the lead because she was the best choice, and every single person there felt willing to follow her at such a perilous time. Thus the last few moments were filled with prayers to the gods. Indeed they prayed like never before, and with such heartfelt intensity. For the possibility that their end may come soon filled them with utter dread. Nevertheless Katala asked everyone to form into a compact formation and to move forwards in the direction that the enemy were coming from. Thereafter they waited patiently inside the woods for the army to reach them.

In time, the sound of the marching army grew louder and louder until it reached an area of grass just outside the woods, and the earth shook. Then the warriors abruptly came to a halt at the command of a loud, piercing voice. For it was the voice of their leader, and then facing the concealed escapees, he shouted the following words: “We know you’re in there . . . You cannot hide from us . . . Return to Xanthizar. So come out immediately!”

“No, we will stay here and fight for our freedom, or die trying,” said the barbarian in a tone of proud defiance.

Now the atmosphere was tense for a moment as the army’s leader got angered and ordered his warriors to march into the woods. Drums were beating, and they advanced loud and strong. Soon a shrieking war cry came from the woods and increasingly became more deafening until it mingled with the clangor of weapons. However, many of the escapees only had wooden spears in which to defend their freedom. In spite of that, they all fought bravely until the end, for it certainly was the end, as nothing more would ever be heard of them again.